CAADC - Certified Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor

Overview of Requirements

Experience - 2,000 Hours earned through full- or part-time work

Experience is defined as direct experience using clinical skills to treat alcohol/drug use disorder clients at a program licensed to provide substance abuse services by the state of Michigan. The experience may be as a paid or volunteer employee and must be in the IC&RC/AADC Performance Domains and the Twelve Core Counseling Functions.

Education - Master’s Degree **Degree or license at a Master’s Level must be in Psychology, Clinical Social Work, Counseling, or Marriage and Family Therapy with a clinical application, having included a supervised internship or practicum within the degree. Degree must be from a regionally accredited institution of higher learning. Experiential degrees are not accepted.

180 contact hours specific to substance abuse; at least six (6) contact hours must be face-to-face, MCBAP approved professional or treatment ethics. See instructions for detail on accepted education.

Supervised Practical Training- 300 hours of direct supervision specific to the treatment of alcohol/drug use disorder clients (with a minimum of 10 hours in each of the Core Functions)

Supervised Practical Training (Supervised Experience) is defined as a formal, systematic process that focuses on skill development and integration of knowledge. This training must take place in a setting where alcohol/drug use disorder treatment is being provided. Training must be specifically related to the IC&RC/AADC Performance Domains including the Twelve Core Counseling Functions. This training must occur as part of eligible work experience and may be completed under more than one supervisor.

Testing - IC&RC/AADC Written Exam passing score.

Applicants are required to pass the International Certification and Reciprocity Consortium/Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor (IC&RC/AADC) written examination as part of their CAADC requirement. There are no prerequisites to take the exam. A passing score is based upon the total score. If you fail the exam, you must register again and retake the entire exam.

Forty (40) hours of approved continuing education training is required for a two (2) year certification period or twenty (20) hours of approved continuing education training is required for a one (1) year certification period. Time period is since the beginning of your previous certification period with a minimum of 50% of contact hours specific to substance abuse.